ELDORADO — When God was handing out talents, he gave the righteous, but imperfect, Sanders family the gifts of music and witnessing. But he also threw in a third — the ability to make people laugh and feel good about themselves.

All three talents are on display in the musical comedy "Smoke on the Mountain," being performed by the Way Off Broadway Players this weekend at the Tom Ratliff Civic Theater in Eldorado. The Bluegrass-gospel, toe-tapping production also will be performed Feb. 23-25 and March 2-4.

The two-act musical takes place in 1938 at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in the deep South. The traveling Sanders family is performing at a Saturday night Gospel sing, but their antics and side-stories turn the service into a mix of hilarity and chaos, much to the disdain of the stern-faced "Amen" corner.

"Each of the members of the Sanders family feels the calling of the Lord," said Terry Weaver, the musical's director, who also plays the character Ethel. "They get up and give their testimonies and you see the type of church member you'd see in any congregation. They are a family who's as dysfunctional as any other, but loves each other and pulls together. Everyone should be able to find themselves in one of the characters."

Sanders family members Mabelle, played by Joella Parker (left), and Ethel, played by Terry Weaver, ...more

Sanders family members Mabelle, played by Joella Parker (left), and Ethel, played by Terry Weaver, argue during a night of gospel singing in the musical comedy "Smoke on the Mountain."

Contributed photo by Kathy Mankin

There's Denise, played by Eva Jo Sessom, who's a huge flirt and makes eyes at the Rev. Oglethorpe. Her dream was always to be a movie star.

"My sins are many, but they're real easy to count," Denise says in her testimony.

Eldorado First Baptist Church minister Mark McBride plays Stanley, who's just been released from prison and has seen the error of his ways.

"This is a story of Grace," McBride said. "My character disgraced his family and moved away, but he's coming home and coming back to Grace. In my monologue I tell how God loves people like us."

The musical features 25 songs and medleys, some of them familiar ones like "Church in the Wildwood." Other original songs add humor, such as "I'll Never Die (I'll Just Change My Address)." Ten of the 13 cast members play instruments including the guitar, piano, banjo, dulcimer, fiddle, autoharp, trumpet, harmonica and accordion.

The Players have done numerous productions over the years, ever since their founding by the late Jo Ann Sproul in 1989. But "Smoke on the Mountain" is dear to their hearts.
This one is actually a revival.

The first was performed in 1997 and became so popular that it was performed 45 times over a five-year period, including a stint at Angelo Civic Theater in San Angelo.

"We would even have standing room and people brought in folding chairs in our theater," Weaver said. "In San Angelo, people had pillows and they sat in the back on the floor. It was just the right cast, the right people, the right time. It just kept on going. People have been asking if we were ever going to bring it back and finally I said, 'How about it? Who's willing?' and surprisingly nearly everyone who could, said yes."

Tammy Doan, from left, Charlie Bradley, Eva Jo Sessom and Sherry Belk, portray members of the gospel-singing Sanders family in the production of "Smoke on the Mountain" by the Way Off Broadway Players.

Jane Jeschke/Special to the San Angelo Standard-Times

Seven of the cast members are original, and the newcomers were more than happy to come on board. Rehearsals started last October, and the troupe hails from Eldorado, Sonora and Ozona. Cast member Rusty Meador makes the 150 mile drive from Boerne.
Schleicher County Judge Charlie Bradley reprises his role of would-be preacher Dennis.

"Nothing has really changed, other than the gray hair I have now," Bradley said with a laugh. "But I have good memories of the people in the past (production), and the new people in it now, it adds a whole new dimension and it's just as good."

"It was easy," Sessom said of playing Denise again. "Once you get everyone going, it just comes pretty natural."

The Way Off Broadway Players don't receive any funding for their productions and everyone is a volunteer, including the cast members.

"So far we've been able to maintain and stay in the black by ticket sales and being frugal," Weaver said. "We do everything ourselves and sometimes we write our own scripts. We also choose plays that don't cost much or aren't well-known."

People come from all over for their performances, Weaver said.

"Dallas, Waco, Houston," she said. "We've had busloads from Abilene. They come from San Angelo and Ballinger. We have a following."